Morphology Data of Otocinclus tapirape
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Britto, M.R. and C.R. Moreira, 2002
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral elongated
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Differs from its congeners, except O. vestitus, O. flexilis, and O. affinis by canal-bearing plates of trunk median plate series truncated, restricted to the anterior field (versus presence of canal-bearing plates on posterior field). Distinguished from O. vestitus by the presence of iris diverticulus, and by the absence of paired W-shaped marks on caudal fin. Differs from O. flexilis and O. affinis by having lateral ethmoid with large subnasal lamina (versus small subnasal lamina), 20-22 total lateral plates (versus 24 or more), a narrow nuchal plate (versus a wide nuchal plate), and plates of median series not arranged in tandem repeat patter (versus plates arranged in tandem repeat pattern) (Ref. 46820).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Otocinclus tapirape

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   0 - 0
Ventral  0 - 0
Spines total 2 - 2
Soft-rays total 7 - 7
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes forked; more or less normal

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 0 - 0
Soft-rays total 6 - 6

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     1
Soft-rays   6 - 6
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    abdominal  beneath origin of D1
Spines     0
Soft-rays   6 - 6
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